Illustrations from "Ajnabiyeh," Batoul Mourad's comic series inspired by family stories, memory and belonging. (Credit: Batoul Mourad)
Batoul Mourad was born in southern Lebanon and raised in New York. Between those two worlds, she found in comics a way to bridge the distance separating her from the memory of her homeland. The first time Mourad heard the word ajnabieh ("foreigner"), it wasn't from strangers but from her own mother.Whenever she refused a traditional dish or reacted in a way considered "too American," her mother would tease her: "Fe'e aa halek mitl al-ajnabieh" ("Wake up, you're acting like a foreigner"). Years later, the nickname became the title of a comic strip series that resonated with thousands of Lebanese across the diaspora. Women diaspora artists Carla Antoun channels Frida Kahlo before turning to Lebanon Through humorous scenes — family meals, sometimes awkward visits to the mosque, codes...
Batoul Mourad was born in southern Lebanon and raised in New York. Between those two worlds, she found in comics a way to bridge the distance separating her from the memory of her homeland. The first time Mourad heard the word ajnabieh ("foreigner"), it wasn't from strangers but from her own mother.Whenever she refused a traditional dish or reacted in a way considered "too American," her mother would tease her: "Fe'e aa halek mitl al-ajnabieh" ("Wake up, you're acting like a foreigner"). Years later, the nickname became the title of a comic strip series that resonated with thousands of Lebanese across the diaspora. Women diaspora artists Carla Antoun channels Frida Kahlo before turning to Lebanon Through humorous scenes — family meals, sometimes awkward visits to the mosque,...
In infographics: How 4 months of Israeli attacks and war devastated Lebanon
Hezbollah criticizes Aoun's Washington visit, accuses authorities of 'submission to foreign tutelage'
